Cemetery are an Old School Death Metal band from Germany,
which you most probably never came across. The band made some awe-inspiring
death metal music in the early 90s, before disappearing into darkness. Memento
Mori from Spain has finally unearthed this classic after over two decades and
released all the band’s entire discography in its 2 disc compilation - Enter
the Gate.

The band suffered its unjust fate back in 93, when their
record label (West Virginia Records) filed for bankruptcy just as the band was
preparing for the release of the debut album “Enter the Gate”. The album
remained unreleased till 2014, when it was released as a part of the
compilation. The compilation consists of the above mentioned album on one disc,
and an earlier-self titled demo and 2 singles making up the second disc.

The music is raw, old-school death metal in the veins of the
early 90s Floridian Death Metal scene consisting of the likes of Death, Morbid
Angel, Nocturnus, et al. The music is extremely energetic throughout, and
subtle progressive touches to the music help it stand out from the rest. The
use of melodic guitar riffs adds its charm to the music. The vocals immediately
remind the listener of the voice of Chuck Schuldiner on the cult classic ‘Leprosy’.
The production is great, with instruments sounding raw and heavy. For an early 90s record it’s quite clean,
with all instruments clearly audible.

The tracks on the full length are quite long, with most
clocking over 8 minute mark, but do not feel stretched or repetitive at any
point. Tracks like “Trapped in the Out” and “At Dark Places”, show some of the
finest lead guitar melodies in the album, whereas the continuous onslaught in
“Pits of Hell” leaves the listener with an adrenaline rush. The smooth
transition in between segments is also something that a lot of modern bands
could learn from these veterans.

The demo tracks on the second disc are more raw and
aggressive. There is some raw in-your face drum work on display throughout,
with the beats on “Something Evil” standing out. The slow tempo build up in “The
Dying” brings in some good variation to the record. The single “Dungeon of
Dreams” ends the album on the top note, with the track hurling every ounce of
energy on to the listener.

This is a solid, and a deserving release by Memento Mori. It
feels sad that such amazing music was lost in the void for over two decades,
and one is left to wonder where the band might have been if fate had taken a
different turn back in 93.

A true underground gem and a must listen for fans of old
school death metal.